News
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20/10/2005
Special summit on how best to meet the challenges of globalisation and ageing
Europe must reform and modernise its policies to preserve its values. Modernisation is essential to continue keep Europe's historically high levels of prosperity, social cohesion, environmental protection and quality of life. The European Commission's Report 'European Values in a Globalised World', its contribution to the Informal Summit of Heads of State and Government on 27 October in the UK states that unless we are able to change, the forces of global competition, the impact of new technologies and our ageing population will call our economic success and the financial viability of our social systems - pensions, welfare, health - into question. There is an urgent need to move ahead with economic reforms and the modernisation of our social systems.
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20/10/2005
Under a new European Commission Directive, European citizen can from now on move jobs and country without losing work pension benefits
Workers switching jobs or countries will no longer have to worry about substantial loss of work pension benefits under the 'portability of pensions' Directive, proposed by the European Commission today. At present, changing job or country can mean losing occupational pension benefits in some Member States. But today's proposal would mean avoiding major losses and in many cases allowing benefits to transfer with the worker across sectors and countries in the EU. The Directive will help the growing numbers of EU workers who are switching jobs. In the EU15, one worker in three changes jobs every five years and 9% employees change employer each year.
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19/10/2005
New EU report shows active labour policy can increase employment rate despite low growth
Economic growth on its own does not increase employment. The right mix of employment and active labour market policies is critical to increase employment rates. The Employment in Europe report published today shows that despite low economic growth the EU's employment rate doubled to 0.6% and its unemployment rate stabilised at around 9% in 2004 on the back of key employment reforms introduced under the European Employment Strategy. Active labour policies are about getting people back into the labour force - they include policies such as lifelong learning, investing in skills and training and personal career coaching.
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10/10/2005
Anti-discrimination website - let us know your views
The European Commission is currently conducting a short survey to find out what users think about its anti-discrimination website.
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29/09/2005
20 years of European Social Dialogue: Social Partners provide input to the debate on the future of Europe
EU Commission President José Manuel Barroso said at today's social dialogue summit in Brussels: "Without solidarity there would not be a European Union. Faced with rapid globalisation, we must work hard, together with our social partners, to renew and strengthen Europe's economic and social models." Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal opportunities, Vladimir Spidla emphasised that the social partners' role has become even more important due to the economic and social challenges facing the EU, such as industrial restructuring and an ageing population. The meeting was an opportunity for the social partners to provide input to the debate on the future of the European social model, which will be discussed at next month's informal EU heads of state summit in the UK.
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16/09/2005
Commissioner Spidla kicks off run-in to free labour movement decisions for next three years
The process of deciding whether to maintain restrictions on the free movement of workers in the EU for a further three years will begin with a meeting in Brussels today.
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14/09/2005
Directive on optical radiation
EU Commissioner for Employment, Social affairs and Equal opportunities, Vladimir Spidla, announced yesterday that he is willing to remove the reference to sunlight from the Directive on optical radiation. The Directive would thus regulate the health and safety of workers only regarding artificial radiation.
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14/09/2005
EU launches new global safety and health portal
The new online information portal is operated by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work and is based on the most advanced Internet technology.
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05/09/2005
Commissioner Vladimir Spidla signs EU-China agreement
EU Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities Commissioner Vladimir Spidla signed the first employment oriented EU-China Memorandum of Understanding with Tian Chengping, the Chinese minister for Labour and Social Security on 5 September.
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02/09/2005
The European Commission strengthens dialogue with China on employment and social affairs
The EU and China will hold regular meetings and exchanges of information on employment and social affairs issues under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to be signed on Monday, 5 September 2005 at the EU-China summit. The MoU, between the European Commission and the Chinese government, will provide the framework for dialogue on areas such as social protection, social cohesion, labour legislation, employment, labour relations and social dialogue. Each side will visit the other at least once a year in Brussels and Beijing alternately.